Roseberry Topping, Easby Moor and Captain Cook's Monument from Great Ayton

 7.1 miles           Warm and sunny

This is not a Tom Scott Burns walk but it is near to his doorstep and he would have known it well.  It's a good walk with great views for a summer's day.

We parked on Great Ayton High Street and walked east, eventually crossing and leaving the road at a footpath sign taking us towards Cleveland Lodge.

Today's walk in the Cleveland Hills

Carole sets off east along Ayton High Street

Entering the footpath alongside Cleveland Lodge

The path alongside Cleveland Lodge is shaded and usually muddy, but recent fine weather had dried the path.  We walked past the lodge which is hidden in trees and followed the overgrown field path across the Middlesbrough to Whitby railway line near to Rye Hill Farm.

Usually very muddy but today it's a pleasure to walk along

Field paths are overgrown and I begin to regret my decision to wear shorts

Easby crossing near Rye Hill farm

We walked through farm fields to reach Cliff Rigg Quarry where whinstone was mined until 1973. We diverted from our path slightly by climbing uphill to reach the top of the old quarry for a better look.

Easby Hall over to our right

About to enter Cliff Ridge Wood

We pass some old winching blocks as we climb towards the quarry

We reach the believed location of Captain Cook's family cottage

Walking towards Roseberry

We climb up to look into Whinstone or Cliff Rigg Quarry

Quarrying ceased in 1918 but in 1970s resumed with crushed stone used for roads

A stone plug was left to prevent shale collapse

We descended and re-joined our farm track and crossed several fields with Roseberry Topping dominating the skyline.  Eventually we passed by Wilson's Folly, a shooting box on the slopes of Roseberry.

Roseberry from Whinstone Quarry

Easby below

Steep descent from the quarry top

Field tracks to Roseberry

We reach the folly

The shooting box folly

A short steep climb now took us to the top of Roseberry where we stood by the trig point.  We had fine views in the clear air, even picking out landmarks in County Durham.

The last few yards

Old graffitti

On top!

Looking east towards the coast

Trig point at 320m

TSB recounts the story of a Northumbrian princess who had been warned by an astrologer that her son Oswy would be drowned on a certain day.  To avoid this she took the child to the summit of Roseberry Topping where he would surely be safe from that fate. While she slept the child wandered off and fell down a well, situated on the north eastern slope of Roseberry, so fulfilling the prophecy, which led the princess to kill herself.  Mother and child were buried together and 'Os by his mother lay' and so the village of Osmotherly gained its name.   

Roseberry is believed to have been held in special regard by the Vikings who settled here and gave the area many of its place names. They gave Roseberry Topping its present name: first attested in 1119 as Othenesberg, (Othenes (personal name) rock, or Odin's rock).   The name changed successively to Othensberg, Ohenseberg, Ounsberry and Ouesberry before finally settling on Roseberry, this means that Roseberry Topping is one of only a handful of known pagan names in England, being named after the Norse God Odin.
See:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roseberry_Topping       

With Roseberry behind us we headed south towards Newton Moor.

Stone path leading off Roseberry

Looking back from Newton Moor

Foxgloves and early heather 

Climbing onto Great Ayton Moor

Crossing Great Ayton Moor

The monument appears on the skyline

A handy table at Gribdale Gate for coffee

Descending from Great Ayton Moor to Gribdale Gate we stopped at a picnic table to take a coffee break before setting off on the climb up Cockshaw Hill to Easby Moor and Captain Cook's Monument.

Climbing Cockshaw Hill

Northern Marsh Orchid 

We pass a WWII memorial

From 'Round and About the NY Moors' by TSB, note the door!

TSB notes that the monument was built in 1827, the foundation stone being laid by Robert Campion of Whitby.  

We left the monument and crossing Easby Moor began the steep descent through Ayton Banks Wood.  This is always slippery and care is needed.   We emerged from the woods to a fine view down to Great Ayton.

Looking south west from Easby Moor top

Walking towards Ayton Bank Wood

A stunted larch

Arty look back towards the monument

The long steep descent through Ayton Bank Wood

Carole tries out my walking pole.  Verdict "No thanks"

Surprise view of Roseberry

Gribdale Terrace

Great Ayton appears below

We turned left just before Dykes Lane into a farm track where there is a Weak Bridge sign, and this led us, via the weak railway bridge, to Brookside Farm.  The farm now hosts a popular cafe called Fletcher's, which was busy with late lunch guests as we passed.

Turn left at this sign

Foxgloves along the lane

Brookside Farm and Fletcher's Farm cafe

Pigs at Brookside Farm

Weathervane at  Brookside

After passing the farm we joined the tarmac lane from Little Ayton and walked into Great Ayton where we paused to admire the sun dial at the Royal Oak.

We arrive at Great Ayton

Past the undertakers..

.. to the Royal Oak.  'God favours the diligent - 1771'

The Royal Oak is a Grade II listed building and its old sun dial is in excellent condition, and we noticed the time (being nearly 2pm,) was almost correct.  The Sun Dial Society-Royal Oak

Our walk over, we retired to the beer garden at the Royal Oak to discuss today's excellent summer walk.

To the diligent!